Millions of residents across Queensland, Victoria, and New South Wales have been warned to prepare for potential flash flooding from as early as today, November 10, as experts forecast heavy rain and thunderstorms for the remainder of the week.
Severe storms, record rainfall, and flood warnings are all on the cards as humid and unstable air approaches the Eastern states, in a taste of what’s apparently in store over the next few months into February.
Parts of New South Wales are predicted to receive more than a month’s worth of rain over the next three days. While Western Queensland is expected to see three times its November average rainfall in the coming days, with average daily rainfalls tipped to reach 150 millimetres or higher. Victoria may also experience heavy wind gusts that could bring down trees and powerlines as well as wreaking minor property damage.
Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) Hazard Preparedness and Response East Manager Jane Golding is “urging people to prepare now” for the severe week-long weather.
“Heavy rain and thunderstorms are expected to set in from Wednesday and continue into the weekend, so we’re urging people to prepare now,” she said.
“Many areas in eastern Australia will see significant rainfall, and some locations in New South Wales and Queensland are likely to see daily rainfall totals of 150 millimetres or higher.”
Golding urged residents to stay “up to date with current forecasts and warnings” and to “be careful when you are out and about this week” as the wild weather lashes the east coast.
“This kind of heavy rainfall over a short period of time can cause dangerous flash flooding and combined with the fact that many river catchments down the east coast are already quite wet, there is a very real risk that we may see some rivers flood too,” she said.
“That’s why we’re warning people early to be prepared for this severe weather system. We want people to ‘know your weather, know your risk’, have the most up-to-date information, and be factoring our forecasts and warnings into their daily planning.”
Severe Weather Update: Heavy rain and possible major flooding in eastern Australia. Video current 3.30pm AEDT 9 November 2021.
Know your weather. Know your risk. For the latest forecasts and warnings, go to our website https://t.co/wsmqQmBSKS or the #BOMWeather app. pic.twitter.com/98NflxJEQW
— Bureau of Meteorology, Australia (@BOM_au) November 9, 2021
Long-range Weather Forecaster and Research Director for the Bureau of Metrology, Hayden Walker, told 9 News that the forecast wet and wild conditions are just the beginning of what is set to be a severe storm season.
“We’ve certainly seen mother nature release a fury in relation to storm activity over the last month and we’ll continue to see quite prevalent storm activity once again for the months of November, December January February,” he said.
“That’ll be concentrated in the south-east and then will start to head for the tropics.
“We’ve seen very intense storm activity which I say is savage, because we’ve seen a lot of destruction in the storm activity.
“It’s going to occur again and people need to stay vigilant and be aware of what’s happening in the next three or four months.”
The fresh warnings come as Australians were urged, in early October, to prepare for severe storm season with a slightly above-average cyclone season and an increased risk of widespread flooding over the east and north of Australia forecast.
Residents are urged to stay up to date with the latest weather warnings and updates in your area via the BOM’s website or mobile app.